Constance Marie grew up in Los Angeles, California. She is part of a third-generation Mexican-American family that moved from apartment to apartment, and she was raised by her mother and grandmother. While in her teens, she had a passion for dancing that she carried on for years. By age 19, she tap danced in a musical called "Cosmopolis" by famed composer Ryuichi Sakamoto in Japan. When she returned to Los Angeles, her career took a huge step when she was spotted in a club by a dance choreographer for pop icon David Bowie.

Constance Marie started her career as a dancer on David Bowie`s Glass Spider Tour. After arriving back from the tour, Marie was cast as a dancer in the movie Salsa. After that, the film`s choreographer introduced her to Steve Tisch, who gave her first acting job. She played the role of Penny Rivera on the CBS television series version of Dirty Dancing. She later won the role of Nikki Alvarez on the now defunct NBC soap opera Santa Barbara. Marie later made her feature film debut in the Gregory Nava film My Family. She was featured in the 1997 biographical film Selena alongside Jennifer Lopez. In this film, Constance Marie played the pivotal role of Selena`s mother, under heavy make-up. Even though Constance Marie is the same age as Jennifer Lopez, they made her look four years older than Lopez. Her other film credits include Tortilla Soup, in which she played a divorced mother. In 1997 she was cast in the NBC sitcom Union Square. She has guest-starred on many television shows such as FOX`s Ally McBeal. She played Angie Lopez on the ABC sitcom The George Lopez Show until its cancellation in 2007. From 2002 until 2004, Marie played Nina Gonzales on the critically-acclaimed PBS mini-series American Family. She also made a guest appearance as herself in the eight episode of Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony.

In October 2007, she launched her own clothing line, The Constance Marie Collection, which allows women to feel confident, stylish, and comfortable. Sizes range from women to petite. The line is stated to be "affordable for women with real budgets and flattering to women with real bodies."

She has been in a relationship with yoga instructor Kent Katich since the mid-90s. She has volunteered as an actress with the Young Storytellers Program.

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